After a long winter focusing on nordic ski racing, I made my return to running today at the local Doc Lopez Run for Hope. Formerly a 12-miler from Keene to Elizabethtown, organizers made it a half-marathon this year by beginning in Keene Valley. Adding a mile was a great decision: compared to last year it seemed to have grown quite a bit and attracted a slightly deeper field of talent as well.

I went into the race intending to treat it as a training run for the Boston Marathon. I've continued running through the winter, but aside from a few easy 16-milers I've basically been sticking to shorter 6 to 12 mile runs (and lots of easy 3s with Finn in the jogger), so I know I need to get some race pace tempo runs in. Running the 4mi from my house to the start was an easy way to get some extra distance on the day and ensure I was very warmed up. The start was nice and casual, and I took off with a couple of friends in the chase pack, as three men went out quite a bit faster than the rest.

The race begins with three easy miles running north on route 73 before turning onto 9N and climbing steeply up Spruce Hill. After running at a relaxed and conversational pace with my friends for the first mile or so I looked ahead at the lead pack and decided to make a race out of it. By the bottom of Spruce Hill I'd nearly closed the gap, and two miles and about 700 feet of climbing later I had passed the leader and settled into a comfortably fast pace.

One mostly flat mile brought me to the beginning of the downhill, and what a downhill it is! Seven miles of almost continuous elevation loss, nearly all the way to the finish. Wind and snow swirled about at this elevation, but I was a little overdressed and welcomed the cooling effect. My hamstring had been tight for the past couple miles and I couldn't get loose, so I concentrated on my stride, hoping to use the quads as much as possible on the descent in order to prevent the hamstring from cramping. Short strides kept me from jarring as I pounded the pavement on the relentless descent.

Another couple of miles of the downhill brought the former leader, Dannemora runner Brian Wilson, back to me, and we raced each other from there. He mostly led, usually by about 50 feet. I'd get closer as he slowed to drink (I'd stopped grabbing cups when I realized there would be no sports drinks, which was all I felt I needed) and then let him stretch the lead again, just trying to run within myself and prevent cramping. I was happily surprised at what I thought was mile 8 to realize we were in fact 10 miles in. I had hit the lap button on my GPS watch at the 3mi and 5mi marks, but I was only adding 3 to the mileage on my current lap rather than 5. I slowly began to increase my pace with the hope of getting close enough to make a move at the finish.

With one mile to go I had nearly reeled Brian in. I waited until we were 1/2mi out to close the remaining gap, then made the pass just before the ninety degree turn in Elizabethtown, 100 yards from the finish line. Brian increased his pace and managed to stay on my shoulder, taking the inside line and the lead into the turn, and we sprinted from there. I followed him closely for 50 yards before deciding he had me beat and backing off a bit--I crossed the line two seconds back in 1:23:59.

I had a blast racing again (I guess the chances of treating this as a training run were pretty small to begin with) and am very happy with my fitness. I still need to run more weekly mileage and get in a few true long runs to get my legs ready for a marathon, but my speed and aerobic capacity are certainly where they need to be for Boston.